GREAT FALLS — Civic leaders from law enforcement, fire, and city planning agencies met on Tuesday for the Great Falls-Area Chamber of Commerce’s "Knowledge Drop" forum – giving community members a chance to hear directly from officials on major issues and get their questions answered about ongoing safety challenges across the city.
On the panel were representatives from the Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, Great Falls Fire Rescue, city planning officials, and a city commissioner. Together, they provided updates and fielded questions from business leaders and residents – covering topics from homelessness, jail capacity, hiring struggles, and public funding.
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“The questions we asked today were based on member questions about what's happening right now, of different issues going on. It was our longest Knowledge Drop,” explained Chamber of Commerce CEO Ed Brown.
The Knowledge Drop is a relatively new segment that the Chamber of Commerce hosts once a month. The goal is to push interactions in the community and answer questions directly from the source.
The organization has had around seven discussions so far, usually broadcast on Facebook Live from the Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, and can be seen on their YouTube page after the fact.
Brown added, “We get a lot of questions that we sometimes can’t answer. What better way than to get the answers straight from the source? Everyone we’ve reached out to do this has been excited to make it happen, and that was no different today.”
One recurring topic was the unhoused population in Great Falls. Officials acknowledged the increase in visible homelessness and emphasized that while officers are trained to respond compassionately, the issue requires broader solutions.
“We’re dealing with a mix of mental health issues, addiction, and lack of resources,” said Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter. “We need more tools, not just more beds, but more support services.”
Jail capacity remains a pressing concern. The Cascade County Detention Center has had occurrences of operating at or above capacity, leading to difficult decisions about who can be held and for how long.
Sheriff Slaughter also touched on this, explaining directly how the bed system works and where funding comes from. He said, “Running the Cascade County Jail is like having a chess board, and there are no empty squares, but you still have to move the pieces. And so that that's the challenge we're always up against. And we work on it every day to facilitate it and make it better.”
Retention and recruitment are also straining local agencies. Great Falls Police Department Captain Doug Otto said hiring officers and dispatch has become increasingly difficult.
“People getting into law enforcement is not what it used to be,” Otto said. “We just don’t see the same numbers that we used to but there’s always positions. We can get people to the right position if they’re interested.”
Panelists also touched on the recent failed public safety levy, which would have helped fund equipment and infrastructure needs. Great Falls Fire Assistant Chief Mike McIntosh spoke to the rate of growth of Great Falls, and how safety services aren’t necessarily growing too.
“We have the same amount of employees as the 1980’s and the city has grown much larger. We realistically need about 3 more fire stations to better meet the demands and needs of citizens.”
Both City Manager Greg Doyon and City Commissioner Joe McKenney touched on the city budget and what they’re seeing. “There’s no way around it — safety costs money,” said Commissioner McKenney. “But it’s also the foundation of a thriving community. We want people to feel safe living and doing business here.”
The Chamber of Commerce said it hopes to continue hosting forums like this in the future, giving residents more opportunities to connect with local leadership. Brown said, “We enjoy doing them and we enjoy having those conversations.”
